LOGAN — A judge has bound Benjamin Stoddard over on charges that the 21-year-old Logan man attempted to kill a woman during a domestic dispute last month. Judge Brian Cannell ordered the defendant to also remain in jail without bail, because of the severity of the allegations.
Stoddard appeared in 1st District Court Wednesday morning for a preliminary hearing. He was bound over on charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery, and attempted aggravated murder, all first-degree felonies; and, domestic violence in the presence of a child, a third-degree felony.
Prosecutors dropped a charge of aggravated burglary. They told the court that they hadn’t provided sufficient evidence to prove it.
During the hearing, the alleged victim testified how Stoddard started choking her on the afternoon of April 29, causing her to lose consciousness. She described trying to fight back, biting and kicking him unsuccessfully. During the attack, he kept telling her, “[she] should just die.” The last thing she remembered was seeing her son watching the attack and thinking, “please god, don’t let my son see me die.”
When she regained consciousness, the woman said she was inside a closet. She described feeling dizzy and incoherent. She was treated by paramedics and transported to Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital.
Later, several police officers who investigated the case testified that the victim showed signs of strangulation. They said she had redness around her neck and burst blood vessels in both eyes.
Stoddard allegedly fled the residence after the alleged attack, taking the woman’s backpack, laptop computer and other valuables. He was found nearby by officers, taken into custody for questioning and later booked into jail.
Judge Cannell ruled that Stoddard will remain in jail, stating that he was fearful of the public’s safety. He also ordered him appear again in court June 25.
This isn’t the first time Stoddard has been arrested. Court records show he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault in September 2018. He was later sentenced to serve 60-days in jail.
Stoddard pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. He could face up to life in prison if convicted.